Page 4 - MetalForming April 2017

MetalForming
April 2017 | Volume 51 — Number 4 Cover Story/Special Report
Features
32 Micro Transfer Enables Small-Part Deep Drawing
Responding to the needs of its automotive-OEM customer, progressive-die stamper and slideforming specialist Clips & Clamps Industries showcases its engineering excellence by adopting transfer technology to draw small parts that probably belong on an eyelet press.
Commentaries
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Much More than Magazines—
We’re Face-to-Face with the Market Brad F. Kuvin
The Science of Forming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Don’t Assume Yesterday’s Corrective Actions Will Work Today
Stuart Keeler
Tooling by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Transfer Automation—Options Abound
Peter Ulintz
Departments
News Fronts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Features
16 Hydraulic Press Takes
Forming to a New Level
A custom 450-ton machine aligns nicely with Empire Level’s existing die-transfer system and squares away its forming challenges.
20 In-Die Micropin Insertion
A Cleveland, OH, precision metalformer solves a unique in-die insertion challenge by working with its vendor to custom-design a sensor-laden die and special pin-feed system to avoid time-consuming and costly secondary operations.
24 Dune-Buggy Maker Cruises
to Laser-Shop Success
Business for this So-Cal sheetmetal job shop has increased 35 percent, while profit margins are up and production time is down, thanks in part to a new fiber- laser cutting machine.
26 Innovation and Lean Service—
A Fabricator’s Guide to Independence
New solutions to quicken equipment-maintenance response times and improve machine diagnostics promise to improve service efficiency and support lean manufacturing. An example with laser-cutting operations: integrated sensors within the slat cleaner to notify users when maintenance is required.
30 Finishing via Non-Woven Abrasives
Durable and conformable to workpieces, these products serve well across a variety of applications.
Tech Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Software for Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spotlight on PMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
36 Auto Forecast: Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?
We’re seven years into the recovery of the U.S. automotive industry... that’s good. Demographics are changing, trade deals are uncertain and world economies are fair at best...that’s not so good.
44 Hot Stamping: Local
Soft Zones Via Laser
As steels get stronger, hot stamping with localized softening—now very localized via lasers—is a game changer in automotive applications.
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2 MetalForming/April 2017
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